Stephanus 120

120a own laws they had sacrificed and consecrated all the limbs of the bull, they mixed a bowl of wine and cast into it a clot of the blood, one for each, and carried the rest to the fire, having purified the pillar round about; and after this, ladling from the bowl with cups of gold and pouring the wine upon the fire, they swore to give judgment according to the laws written upon the pillar, and to punish anyone who had already transgressed in anything, and for the future to transgress none of the writings willingly, nor themselves to rule, nor to obey any ruler, 120b except according to the laws of their fathers. This prayer each of them made for himself and for his line after him; then he drank and dedicated his cup in the sanctuary of the god, and gave himself to dinner and the needs of the body; and when darkness came on, and the fire about the offerings had died down, all of them, clothed in their most beautiful dark-blue robes, sat down on the ground beside the embers of their oath, and by night, 120c putting out every fire in the precinct of the temple, they were judged and gave judgment, if anyone laid accusation against any among them of transgressing; and when they had judged, they wrote the verdicts upon a plate of gold, and when daylight came they set up the records, together with their robes, as memorials. There were many other special laws concerning the several prerogatives of each king, but the greatest were these: that they should never bear arms against one another, and that all should come to the aid of any one of them if anyone anywhere in a city should attempt to overthrow the royal house; and that in common 120d, as their fathers before them, they should take counsel over war and their other undertakings as seemed best, rendering the leadership to the house of Atlas. And no king was to have power over the death of any kinsman, unless more than half of the ten so judged.

Such a power, then, so great and of such a kind, as it was in those places at that time, the god gathered and brought against these same lands again, on a pretext of some such kind as this, as the story runs. 120e For many generations, so long as the divine nature in them sufficed, they were obedient to the laws and bore themselves kindly toward the divinity of their own kindred;

Critias: For they possessed thoughts that were true and great in every way, applying a gentleness joined with wisdom to the chances that befell them at all times and to one another; and so, because they looked down upon everything but virtue, they counted

120a own laws, they had offered the sacrifice and made all the parts of the bull sacred, they mixed a bowl of wine and dropped in a clot of blood, one for each of them; the rest they brought to the fire, after they had cleansed the pillar all around. After that they drew from the bowl with golden cups, poured it over the fire, and swore: to give judgment by the laws on the pillar, and to punish anyone who had already broken any of them; and then also never to break any of the written laws on purpose, and never to rule or to obey a ruler 120b except as the laws of their fathers commanded. When each of them had prayed these things for himself and for the family that would come after him, he drank, and gave his cup to the god's temple. Then they spent time on the dinner and on their needs. When darkness came, and the fire around the offerings had cooled, they all put on this most beautiful dark-blue robe, sat down on the ground on the embers of the oath, by night, 120c put out every fire around the holy place, and then received judgment and gave judgment, if any one of them was accused by another of breaking any law. When they had judged, and daylight came, they wrote the judgments on a golden tablet, and they set up the record there together with their robes. There were many other special laws about the privileges of each of the kings. But the greatest were these: never to take up weapons against one another, and to go to the aid of them all if anyone tried to break up the royal family in any of their cities; and 120d to take counsel together, as those before them had done, on what seemed best about war and about their other actions, while giving the lead to the family of Atlas. No king had power over any of his kinsmen to put him to death, unless more than half of the ten thought it right.

The god, then, marshaled and led this power, so great and of such a kind as it then was in those places, against these places again, on some pretext of the following kind, as the story goes. 120e For many generations, as long as the divine nature in them was strong enough, they were obedient to the laws, and they were kindly disposed toward the divine kin in them—

Critias: For they kept thoughts that were true and great in every way. They met the chances that kept coming to them, and one another, with gentleness joined with wisdom. And so, since they looked down on everything except virtue, they thought the goods they had were small,

120a all the limbs of the bull, they mixed a bowl of wine and poured in on behalf of each one a gout of blood, and the rest they carried to the fire, when they had first purged the pillars round about. And after this they drew out from the bowl with golden ladles, and making libation over the fire swore to give judgement according to the laws upon the pillar and to punish whosoever had committed any previous transgression; and, moreover, that henceforth they would not transgress any of the writings willingly, nor govern nor submit to any governor's edict 120b save in accordance with their father's laws. And when each of them had made this invocation both for himself and for his seed after him, he drank of the cup and offered it up as a gift in the temple of the God; and after spending the interval in supping and necessary business, when darkness came on and the sacrificial fire had died down, all the princes robed themselves in most beautiful sable vestments, and sate on the ground beside the cinders of the sacramental victims throughout the night, extinguishing all the fire that was round about the sanctuary;

120c and there they gave and received judgement, if any of them accused any of committing any transgression. And when they had given judgement, they wrote the judgements, when it was light, upon a golden tablet, and dedicated them together with their robes as memorials. And there were many other special laws concerning the peculiar rights of the several princes, whereof the most important were these: that they should never take up arms against one another, and that, should anyone attempt to overthrow in any city their royal house, they should all lend aid, taking counsel in common, like their forerunners, 120d concerning their policy in war and other matters, while conceding the leadership to the royal branch of Atlas; and that the king had no authority to put to death any of his brother-princes save with the consent of more than half of the ten.

Such was the magnitude and character of the power which existed in those regions at that time; and this power the God set in array and brought against these regions of ours on some such pretext as the following, according to the story. For many generations, 120e so long as the inherited nature of the God remained strong in them, they were submissive to the laws and kindly disposed to their divine kindred.

Critias: For the intents of their hearts were true and in all ways noble, and they showed gentleness joined with wisdom in dealing with the changes and chances of life and in their dealings one with another. Consequently they thought scorn of everything save virtue and lightly esteemed their rich possessions, bearing with ease